Tuia Sponsorship
Ka pū te rūhā, ka hao te rangatahi.
The old net is exhausted, and the new net goes fishing.
This proverbial saying can’t just be a metaphor about young people taking up the mantle because they are future leaders; they are leaders now. Like the fishing net that has seen better days, so too are many of the ideas of social and economic development.
The Tuia programme is an intentional, long term, intergenerational approach to develop the leadership capacity of young Maori in communities throughout New Zealand. This programme involves local Mayors selecting a young Maori from their district to mentor on a one-to-one basis, to encourage and enhance leadership skills. It is envisaged the rangatahi (young person) will be mentored on a monthly basis, involving both informal meetings and formal occasions that will assist the young person’s development as a local leader. The relationship also provides both partners with the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into inter-generational issues, cultural values and experiences.
Tapu Te Ranga Marae was given the opportunity to sponsor a rangatahi Māori to attend the Tuia kaupapa and in 2023, Anastasia Tupou attended all five wānanga.
He uri ō Waitaha-ā- Hei, Ngāti Kirihika nō Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Hauā me Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngā Motu ō Tonga
I te taha o tōku māmā ko Bruce rāua ko Orapai Stewart ōku tīpuna
I te taha o tōKu pāpā ko Malakai rāua ko Otolose Tupou ōku tīpuna
Ko Faith Tupou tōku māmā
Ko Petelo Tupou tōku pāpā
Ko Anastasia Tupou ahau
Tuia was a very challenging year for me on many levels. I struggled to stay engaged during kōrero and take in everything that was said, I felt challenged socially, worried about my little knowledge on Te Ao Māori and having to be publicly vulnerable and felt pressure due to Tapu Te Ranga Marae and the Stewart whānau playing big roles within the kaupapa.
But as always with challenges, I came out with a fuller kete than I began with. The uniqueness of Tuia being run by young Māori, for young Māori, meant I was amongst rangatahi in different stages of life/career/taha Māori but all hungry to make a change. This resulted in a safe space where I could embrace my Māori identity and know that being Māori isn’t defined by how much you know, a space where I was inspired by their passion for the kaupapa and the effects they already have in their own communities at such young ages, and where I even made life-long friends. Every night we shared reflections and would also have our own wānanga during down time which gave me confidence to speak in front of a small crowd and to be more assertive, vulnerable and how to listen more effectively.
I was reminded of the healing power of being in the ngahere and had a newfound respect for our whenua and how we all hold responsibility to be kaitiaki. I learned more about the sacrifices our tīpuna have made for us to be where we are today and was reminded that what we choose to do should be worth the sacrifice, rather than it being a burden, it is a privilege. I left with a broader perspective on who we are as a people, where we come from and where we’re heading.
Seeing the growth in my whānau who connected to the kaupapa over the years I knew this would be life changing, but only once I had completed my teina year had I realised how big it is, and how important I think it is for more rangatahi to be able to have the same or similar experience. After reflecting on my learnings, I now understand Tuia to be about carrying the mana and mauri of our tīpuna and knowing we now hold the same responsibility for the future as they once did, giving back to Papatūānuku for nourishing us by practising kaitiakitanga, using the knowledge and experiences we hold within ourselves to continually do better, and to serve and share what we now know with our communities and generations to come for a better tomorrow.
A big mihi to the Tapu Te Ranga Marae Trust for enabling me to connect to the Tuia kaupapa.
Tuia i runga
Tuia i raro,
Tuia i roto,
Tuia i waho,
Tuia te here tangata
Tihei, mauri ora!